A Writer's Work (is never done)

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Monthly Archives: April 2011

Spring is an odd progression. It comes phase after blooming phase, a transition that overlaps so much with winter that it becomes almost impossible to tell when it really begins. Right now, the magnolia trees are full of blossoms and a few other trees here and there show their buds in various shades of bright green. Others are still as bare as ever, with no sign of their seasonal green peeking through yet. The change happens so slowly, it is easy to miss the moments when it first starts to show.

My nine-day work marathon is over, and I don’t have work until Monday afternoon. Of course, I’ll probably have work every day for the two weeks after that. (almost) I’m choosing to look on the bright side of this. I haven’t been doing all that much with my free time lately, and with all of this work I will be, not literally, rolling in cash. So, momentarily, I’ll just try to focus on work and the money I’m making.

The good news is that I am starting to feel inspired to write again. I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ll be making it a project to try to write at least a little each day. Of course, I always say this and it never lasts for longer than a week or so… but that’s no reason to stop trying. I’m thinking I’ll bring a small notebook to work so I can write during my lunch breaks. Then I can type up what I’ve written when I have some time at home. It could work.

I saw this great article through GalleyCat today: It’s called How To Steal Like An Artist. I haven’t actually finished reading it, but I already love it. Simple advice, with pictures! Brilliant! I’ll add to his one comment about writing what you like instead of what you know. I don’t think writers should absolutely discard the advice “Write what you know.” But don’t take it so literally! Using real life experiences is great and all, but don’t think you can only write about things that have happened to you. We would never have gotten the fantasy genre if people only wrote what they knew… I say, write what you know you should write. And to me that just means write what you feel – and maybe you feel a dragon battle. It’s all fair game.

Not much else to say today. I’m looking forward to the really springy days of spring, when everything will be budding and blooming and I can forgo a jacket even when it’s dark. And then summer, and hopefully a few beach visits, maybe even with a new bathing suit.

In the meantime, I continue to fix my computer problems by restoring the OS. Let’s see how long I can put off actually taking it to be fixed.

If you haven’t heard of China Mieville, he’s a current, very creative fantasy author. I’m not sure how his work is classified by others. I suppose they probably call it dystopic fantasy, or something along those lines. Certain books, such as Iron Council, which I am currently reading, also falls into the steampunk category – perhaps not for steampunk purists, but who would want to be one of those?

At this point I’m not even sure how I could summarize the plot of this book. I’m only about a third of the way through. Revolution/liberation/rebellion seems to be the major theme. I’m sure there are summaries that can be found in various online locations. If you are interested in reading more about it, a simple search will probably turn up quite a few things.

What I really like about Mieville is his incredibly unique vocabulary of images. He has quite the imagination and describes the characters and scenery rather vividly. Visually, his stories are not like any others I have read. In addition, his language is impressive. He creates concepts and words for his worlds, and does not explain them when they are introduced. The further you read, the clearer the picture becomes of these strange things.

Like this:

In the sleepy hours of mid-morning, the window is misted and covered with drops of rain. The sky, a dull gray, waits beyond, looking quite tired itself. Tree branches sway slightly, bending to the mildly present wind. The view does not encourage the will to venture outside. Still, one cannot stay indoors indefinitely. Everyone’s individual world consists of all that is within the boundaries they make. For some, that can be one single building, or one single room. Most of us, however, need a wider variety to our world. Although the absence of the sun in the day steals away the desire to exit a warm bed, what is a little rain in the face of connection to the world at large?

So many goings-on lately, I’ve had a hard time sitting down and writing. There was some moving in my house – the beginning of the shifting living arrangements, which will be going on until June (and then I have to find somewhere to live in the fall…), and there was my computer breaking…

I’ve fixed it, but I still haven’t written much lately. I feel that I should post something, but since I don’t have any new writing to share, I can relate my news.

I have a second job! The first has still not gotten around to giving me a reasonable number of hours each week, so I needed the second one. Even better – it’s in a bookstore! Working with books can refresh my writing motivation. I get ideas that way, or sometimes just being around books makes me feel like writing. I’m hoping that will hold true for this job and it will help me to be more productive than I have been lately.

This job is a temporary position, with the possibility of it turning into a permanent one. If you, the readers, seem interested, I’ll let you know what happens.

In the meantime, I’m keeping the first job, but the temp job is 32 hours a week, so I probably won’t be trekking out to Somerville all that often. It’s something of a relief, because it takes over an hour to get there on the T…

In writing news: I have plans for this Another Life series I’ve started. Plans that I’m sure will take quite a long time to implement, particularly considering my other projects. Plans that can be simplified by saying “a book of microfiction.”

Dutch Pinup Girl that was born in the wrong time. Lover of fifties and fourties vintage and reproduction clothing, with a slight dress addiction. Taking on the world with petticoats, red lipstick and pretty dresses.